The Treasure Box Project, a community jewel: SouthFlorida.com

FORT LAUDERDALE -- With 20 years of providing educational programming to children in five counties, Suzy Hammer has seen her share of poverty-stricken children.

Sometimes, she would leave an event shaken after teachers told her that the children did not have any socks or underwear. The final straw for action came in 1999. Suzy was on her way to a storytelling program in Broward County when she stopped at a local mini-mart for a bottle of water. She was dressed in her Trixie the Pixie outfit and when she came out of the store, three barefoot children stared at her in awe. "Are you Santa?" they asked. "No" Hammer replied, "but I work for him." With that, Suzy opened her trunk and handed out all the little toys and favors she had. That experience catalyzed the creation of The Treasure Box Project.

The Treasure Box Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing children with boxes filled with essentials and interactive toys. The boxes are given to children living in homeless shelters, infectious disease wards and some federally funded Head Start and Title 1 schools. Each treasure box contains a toothbrush, a comb, a book, a coloring book, crayons and markers. The boxes are small enough to fit under bunk beds and are easy to transport.

The Treasure Box Project has grown from 125 boxes in 2000 to more than 4,500 delivered in 2007. Over the years, the organization has formed a board of directors, and now has more than 120 volunteers and several corporate and private funding sources. Donors to the project have been creative. One mom chose to defer gifts at her baby shower and instead asked her guests to donate to the Treasure Box Project. Grassroots fundraising has been at the heart of Treasure Box's success. Storytelling "house concerts" are slated to raise money to buy gift boxes for the coming holiday season.

All boxes are hand-delivered to locations in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. "Teachers and social workers are overjoyed to see something so interactive," Hammer said. "A yo-yo can provide an interactive opportunity with a child." The project prides itself on being an efficient organization, recycling all containers and donating food to local kitchens after volunteer events. Board members are not paid, and all tax-deductible donations go directly to the boxes. The Treasure Box wish list includes practical items such as socks and toothbrushes. To learn more, visit treasureboxproject.org.